ICC lawyer detained in Libya 'for spying'

An Australian lawyer detained after meeting Saif al-Islam was being
investigated for spying, as an ICC team arrived in Tripoli on Sunday to try
to secure her release.

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Alajmi Ali Ahmed al-Atiri, the head of the brigade which captured Gaddafi's son Saif al-Islam, holds up a document as he addresses the media in Zintan. A delegation for the International Criminal Court has been detained in Libya after one of its lawyers was found to be carrying suspicious documents for Saif al-IslamPhoto: REUTERS

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Saif al-Islam, captured on Nov 19, has been indicted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for two counts of alleged crimes against humanityPhoto: Reuters

7:21PM BST 10 Jun 2012

An International Criminal Court team of four people on Thursday visited Saif al-Islam, son of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi, in the town of Zintan, 110 miles from the capital, where he is in detention.

The ICC said in a statement on Saturday that the four had been detained after the meeting.

But Ahmed Jehani, Libya's envoy to the international tribunal said that only two members of the team, Australian Melinda Taylor, and her Lebanese interpreter, Helen Assaf, were in detention, while two men, a Russian and a Spanish national, stayed behind out of their own accord.

"Melinda was arrested because she was surprised exchanging papers with the accused Saif al-Islam," he said, adding that her Lebanese interpreter was being held as an "accomplice."

"She (Melinda Taylor) had a pen camera and a letter from one of the men most wanted by the Libyan judiciary," Mohammed Ismail, the former right hand man to Saif who is now on the run, he added.

Mr Jehani said he had seen the letter which consisted of "drawings" and "symbols," a "code" which cannot be understood except by the person who sent it and the intended recipient, Saif.

Meanwhile, it was announced on Sunday that Libya's first election in more than half a century will take place 18 days later than planned, on July 7, because of the logistical challenges in a country still recovering from last year's revolt.